Oakland County, Oakland Township, Goodison, Michigan

Pastor's Corner

by Rev. Carolyn Jones

​Ecclesiastes 3: 1 " To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. "

My teaching career spanned thirty years. Even though I retired twelve years ago, I still seem to function with the rhythms of the school year. My body and mind are used to plugging along furiously from September to June, then pulling back to relax a bit during the summer months. Shifting to the church calendar year is a bit of a challenge. There is no two month summer vacation from the pulpit!

But there is a calendar and a rhythm to the church that is marked by specific seasons. We have left behind the Advent season. Currently we are in the middle of Lent and looking toward the resurrection on Easter Sunday. That will be followed by Pentecost, the longest part to the church year. It is the season of growth in which we spend time studying our faith history in both the Old and the New Testaments. Reviewing the stories in the Old Testament helps us to understand the God we serve and the covenant he made with man. In the New Testament we are given a new covenant of love and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That covenant clarifies and fulfills the commandments God gave to Moses. Through the Gospel writers we come to know Jesus and his ministry. The writings of Paul, Peter, John and James show us how that ministry grew and continues even today. All of it gives us valuable insight for the challenges we live through each day.

This season of learning prepares me for all the celebrations of the church. I anticipate with great joy the coming of the Christ child during the Advent season. And I remember with sorrow them crucifixion of the Savior during the Lenten season. But during Pentecost I steep myself in the Word of God that continues to strengthen and deepen my faith. I invite you to journey through all these seasons with me.Type your paragraph here.Type your paragraph here.